Drunk Delight of Battle with My Beers: 2011

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Wee Heavy

Dry Dock has created some truly outstanding beers, and I have to say that this is another great one. A truly fine Scotch ale. The taste was really smooth, and despite the significant alcohol content, it didn't have that liquory taste some strong beers get. This was perhaps too smooth, since I gave myself a little hangover from drinking it too soon before bed.

Still, highly recommended.

Plaid Bastard

This is my second beer from Grand Lake (the first being Woolly Booger), and overall I'd have to say that their taste in beer just does not mesh with mine. In both cases, I really tasted a yeastiness that I didn't particularly enjoy. In this case, though, the main offender is the peat. That was intentional, but just not my preferred taste: too loamy for me. We shared this bottle around, and really only had one person who liked it, who was also a big fan of Woolly Booger, so it just goes to show there's no accounting for taste.

Red Rocket Ale

This is a really nicely balanced ale, a great combination of rich malt flavor with a really strong hop backing. I don't know what the combination of malts they use, but it's really distinctive, and the moderate alcohol content means I can finish a bomber by myself with just the right buzz.

They distinguish this Scottish ale from Scotch ales because of its lower alcohol content, and on the whole I'd have to say that of the two styles I enjoy Scottish rather than Scotch ales.

Highly recommended!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Beer Year Complete!

Today, on schedule, I finished my 300 beer year. I'll blog about more of the beers in detail, but to commemorate the day, here's the more-or-less complete list:

Negra Modelo
Peroni
Heineken
Tecate
Breckenridge Avalanche Ale
Dos Equis Amber
Tommyknocker Maple Nut Brown Ale
Sam Adams Boston Lager
Killian's Red
Coors Light
Odell 5 Barrel Pale Ale
Pacifico
Boulevard Tank 7
Stone IPA
Shiner Blonde
Modelo Especial
Avery New World Porter
Left Hand 400 Pound Monkey
Boulevard Single Wide IPA
Great Divide Claymore
Stone Levitation Ale
He'Brew
Guinness
Sierra Nevada Summerfest
Widmer Bros. W '10
Avery Ellie's Brown
Odell Red Ale
Pyramid Audacious Apricot Ale
Widmer Bros. Broken Halo IPA
New Belgium Mothership Wit
Great Divide Titan IPA
New Belgium Ranger IPA
Great Divide Hoss Lager
FCB Chocolate Stout
Left Hand Milk Stout
Breckenridge Lucky U IPA
Shiner Bock
Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier
Bass
Deschutes Red Chair
Dundee Kolsch-Style Ale
Newcastle
Odell's St. Lupulin
Lagunitas Maximus
Dundee IPA
Odell Easy Street Wheat
Steamworks' Colorado Kolsch
Hardtail
Alaskan Amber Ale
New Belgium Mighty Arrow
Graham's Home Brew #1
Red Hook's Copper Hook
New Belgium Fat Tire
Weihenstephaner Vitus
Victory Hop Wallop
Santa Fe Hefeweizen
Paulaner Hefeweizen
Deschutes Mirror Pond
New Belgium 1554
Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA
Victory Golden Monkey
Oskar Blues Old Chub
Bristol Compass IPA
Upslope IPA
Boulevard Lunar Ale
Red Hook Longhammer
St. Pauli Girl
Molson
Lagunitus Lucky 13
Lagunitas Hop Stoopid
Franziskaner Weissbier
Dundee Stout
Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale
Bard's
Del Norte Mañana
Coney Island Sword Swallower
Deschutes Twilight Summer Ale
Boulevard Pale Ale
Coney Island Mermaid
Victory Prima
Deschutes Inversion IPA
Widmer Bros. Drop Top
Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Baker St. Brown
Great Divide Samurai
Shipyard Export
Deschutes Green Lake Organic
Bellhaven Twisted Thistle
Stone Arrogant Bastard
Dam Straight Lager
Dry Dock 7 Seas
Goose Island Sofie
Birra Moretti La Rosie
Boulevard Sixth Glass
Breckenridge Summerbright
Santa Fe State Pen Porter
Boulevard '47 Oktoberfest
Anderson Valley Barney Flats
Beck's
Kona Pipeline Porter
Stone Russian Imperial Stout
Lakefront Pumpkin Lager
New Belgium Skinny Dip
Great Divide St. Bridget's Porter
Sarnac Pumpkin
Left Hand Blackjack Porter
Shipyard Pumpkin
Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye
Colorado Native Lager
Shipyard IPA
New Belgium Hoptoberfest
Wasatch Polygamy Porter
Sarnac Oktoberfest
Sam Adams Oktoberfest
Avery DuganA
Left Hand Oktoberfest
Great Divide Denver Pale Ale
Dry Dock Keel Haul Kolsch
Ska Modus Hoperandi
Avery Fumator
Avery Karma
Blue Moon
Great Divide Hades
Sierra Nevada Torpedo
Saison Du Buff
Avery The Reverend
Boulder Buffalo Gold
Boulder Mojo
Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA
Coney Island Lager
Hops' Hoptoberfest
Hops' Alligater Ale
Paulaner Salvator
Avery Old Jubilation
Avery IPA
Twisted Pine IPA
Lion Stout
Sam Adams Black Lager
Sam Adams Mile High Barleywine
Avery Joe's Pilsner
New Belgium Blue Paddle
Boulevard Bully!
Lagunitas A Lil' Sumpin Wild
Ska True Blonde
Backcountry Brewery IPA
Sierra Nevada Porter
Rock Bottom Naughty Scot
Utica Club
Wynkoop Silverback
Wynkoop Railyard
Deschutes Jubelale
Oskar Blues Mama's Little Yella Pils
Odell's Levity Ale
Stone Ruination
Tommyknocker Glacier
Left Hand Warrior
Rogue Dead Guy
Tommyknocker IPA Nouveau
Anderson Valley Boont
Sam Adams Lemon Pepper Saison
New Belgium Sunshine Wheat
Sierra Nevada Tumbler
Bear Republic Pacer 5
Sam Smith's Nut Brown
Stone Vertical Epic '10
Stone Self Righteous
Odell Mountain Standard Reserve
Sam Adams White Ale
Sam Adams Winter Lager
O'Fallon 5-Day IPA
Widmer Bros. Brrrr
Left Hand Sawtooth
Odell Isolation
New Belgium 2 Below
Rock Bottom Adam's Free Rye'd
Dry Dock Manger Danger
Tommyknocker Cocoa Porter
New Belgium Frambozen
Great Divide Hibernation
Bristol Winter Warlock
Flying Dog In Heat Wheat
Deschutes Hop Trip
Shiner Smokehaus
Boulevard Nutcracker Ale
Flying Dog Doggie Style
New Belgium Trippel
Sarnac Big Moose
Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw
Great Divide Smoked Baltic Porter
Graham's Home Brew 2
Anchor Steam
Anchor Liberty Ale
Sierra Nevada Celebration
Shiner Holiday Cheer
Hermann Joseph's Winterfest
Anchor Porter
Foret
Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout
Great Divide Yeti Espresso Oak
Sam Adams Old Fezziwig
Sam Adams Chocolate Bock
Rogue Mocha Porter
Bridgeport Hop Czar
Lagunitas Brown Shugga
Deschutes Obsidian Stout
Ska 10-Pin Porter
Del Norte Cinco
Asahi
FCB Rocky Mountain IPA
Abita Purple Haze
Alaskan IPA
Graham's Home Brew #3
Wynkoop Patty's Chile
Green Flash Le Freak
Sam Adams Cherry Wheat
Fuller's London Porter
O'Fallon Hemp Hop Rye
Joseph's Spelt Ale
Dry Dock ESB
Bristol Laughing Lab
Left Hand Fade to Black Volume 2
Anderson Valley Brother David's
Elysian Bifrost
Flying Dog Tire Bite
Great Divide Yeti Imperial
Rogue Oatmeal Stout
Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout
Green's Endeavour
Wynkoop B3K
Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
Sarnac India Copper Ale
Breckenridge ESB
Hermann Joseph's Private Reserve
Shiner 101
O'Fallon's Smoke
McTarnahan's Amber
Deschutes Bachelor Bitter
Deschutes Inverted Pale
Pyramid Snow Cap
Bridgeport Highland Ambush
Bridgeport Kingpin
Redhook Big Ballard
Sam Smith's Toddy Porter
Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout
Foster's Premium
Port Brewing Company Wipe Out IPA
Del Norte Orale
O'Fallon Chocolate Cherry
Spoetzle Kosmos
Widmer Bros. W '11
Grand Lake Wooly Booger
Trumer Pils
Sarnac Vanilla Stout
Bohemia Clasico
Odell Cutthroat Porter
Kona Fire Rock
FCB Red Banshee
North Coast Old Rasputin
Mountain Sun Java Porter
Mountain Sun FYIPA
Lagunitas Hairy Eyeball
Left Hand Jackman's
Kona Longboard
Cisco Brewery Grey Lady Lager
Leinenkugel Bock
Great Divide Belgica
Oskar Blues Deviant Dale's
Sarnac Irish Stout
Flying Dog Road Dog
Oskar Blues Gordon
New Planet Tread Lightly
Avery Hog Heaven
Kona Koko Brown
Sprecher Black Beer
Sam Adams Scotch Ale
Great Divide Wild Raspberry
Green Flash West coast IPA
Wynkoop Cowtown Stout
Wynkoop Mile HIPA
Left Hand Good Juju
Lagunitas Little Sumpin Sumpin
Sierra Nevada Bigfoot
Maui Brewing Mana Wheat
Uinta King's Peak
Elysian Avatar
Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout
Green Flash Imperial IPA
Avery Maharaja
Silverton Ice Pick
Odell Myrcenary
FCB Hop Juice
Twisted Pine Hoppy Knight
Twisted Pine Hoppy Man
Tommyknocker Hop Strike
Santa Fe IPA
Billy's Chillies
Golden City Brewing Belgian IPA
Lagunitas Wilco Tango Foxtrot
Miller Genuine Draft
Miller High Life
Pabst Blue Ribbon
Bud Light
Olympia
Corona

The generic ones got tacked on at the end because I wasn't counting them, but had to add them in when I accidentally double-counted a few and skipped a blank or two.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Rubaiyat of Beer Pt. 3

See part 1 here

See part 2 here

Bedimmed by memories of absent friends
Who one by one to their separate ends
By life's dark coachman taken,
We are leavened by the light beer sends.

Each pour a thousand bubbles raises
Rising slow through translucent mazes
Reaching the top, the bubbles pop,
Their cries are clear, but the beer rephrases

Death, sorrow, and attendant pain
Into jokes so we may smile again
As summer afternoon's showers when
The golden sun pierces through the rain.

India Copper Ale

So Sarnac can produce some pretty bad beers, so I was prepared for something much worse. This was pretty good, but really doesn't pass the IPA muster. Although they changed the name to admit that it isn't really an IPA, there's still the implication that it is. If you called this a pale ale, I'd be okay with it.

Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

Anderson Valley is, all-in-all, a solid brewery where they know how to make some pretty good beers. This example of a malty ale I found quite enjoyable. Not so dark as many winter warmers, and definitely sweeter than some without being grossly so (I'm looking at you Spoetzle), this is a beer I can easily see people celebrating with.

Graham's Home Brew #2

This was the first example I had of a schwarzbier, and possibly the best. A really dark color with a really light flavor and texture. Great job, Graham.

B3K

This was also an addition to the U-Bring-Em. I was very excited because I'd only had one schwarzbier, and it was very tasty. However, this one significantly disappointed. It wasn't as light in taste and texture as the previous beer, and was actually a little nasty. Jay, who'd brought it, said it tasted very different than it had tasted the night before. The growler barely got 1/4 drunk, but Jay left it behind. After cleaning up, it got put on y desk, so I took it home and made a beer-cheese soup with it. Fresh, it wasn't that good, but after a couple days in the fridge, the soup became really pretty tasty.

Endeavour

Most gluten free beers are pretty nasty because they depend heavily on malts that derive from sorghum or rice. This one gives enough flavor (flavour?) to pass for beer, and is definitely drinkable. A traditional beer strength, too, but doesn't taste too liquory.

Serpent's Stout

I had long been eying this bottle in the cooler. It's really attractive, but the beer is pretty pricey, and I've often been burned paying more for a less tasty beer, but with the U-Bring-Em bomber exchange, I thought my opportunity had come to try it, show off the attractive bottle, and if it was bad, I wouldn't be stuck drinking the whole thing. How I wish I'd kept this all to myself. Simply delicious, and though strong, the flavor was unimpaired. Well worth the cost and definitely recommended.

Oatmeal Stout

The two previous brews I'd had from Rogue had not really inspired me with a great deal of confidence that the brewer's reputation was justified (like Flying Dog), but this solid stout changed my mind. They certainly know how to make a good oatmeal stout.

Yeti Imperial Stout

This beer was one of the ones we shared at our most successful U-Bring-Em Bombers event at Page 1. A really tasty stout. Very strong roasted malts, and very strong hops. So much flavor that you don't hardly notice you're getting hammered, too. A nice thick texture, too. Highly recommended.

Tire Bite

Tire bite gets a fair amount of praise among craft beer fans, but I haven't really found anything of theirs that I have been very fond of. This golden ale was pretty lame. I am not a fan of golden ales generally, anyway, they seem like wannabe lagers with less flavor, but this was was even worse. Not recommended.

Bifrost Winter Ale

What better way to get through a winter night alone than with a bomber of a seasonal ale, right? If you're looking for consolation, you'd probably best look elsewhere. I wasn't particularly enthused with this concoction, which seemed pretty bland. Malt and hops kind of jumbled together without great definition, and I felt both got lost in the crossfire.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Brother David's

So let's say you're looking for a beer to bring to your friend's house for dinner and you see a beer with your friend's name on it. That's pretty much a requisite buy, right? And what if the guy on the label is waist-deep in a pond the way your friend was once waist-deep in the willow marsh at the base of Mt. Bierstadt ("Beer City"), that'd pretty much make it more than requisite. It'd make it criminal not to buy it, no matter the style, and if you didn't like it, you'd just say, "Well, I had to buy it." And if it were monastic themed and you were going to watch Secret of the Kells, it'd have to be fate and nobody here wants to mess with fate. I've seen that go down and I don't want to be putting my eyes out by the end of the evening.

So, anyhow, I actually liked this pretty well. Yeast, malt, hops all make their presence known. I've read reviews that say this one is too hoppy, but that's probably why I liked it better than many Belgian-styles I've tried. On the strongish side, but the alcohol doesn't show beneath the other flavors.

Fade to Black, Vol 2

So, it's pretty easy to make a bad smoked beer. I mean, up to this point I haven't really had one I liked. I don't think it's a coincidence that rauch sounds so much like ralph which is a euphemism for hurling, which is not an ice-based Olympic event. In other words, I was kind of expecting this beer to be disgusting, which would be a shame because I bought a six pack for my dad for Christmas because he likes to try unusual seasonal brews. (Irony alert: his name is Ralph, so maybe smoked is the style for him.)

But, long story short, this is not a bad beer at all. The smoke flavor is understated and doesn't at all remind me of my wife's ill-fated attempt to create home-made bacon substitute. (Not something I'd recommend, it nearly made me rauch my guts out.) But this beer tasted like a pretty good porter and made me feel really pretty good. Sad to say, you probably can't try this beer because it's a seasonal one-off, but if you do happen to find a six pack or a single around, I'd say you should try it. If my dad hasn't finished off that six, I'll definitely crack one of these next time I'm at his place.

Laughing Lab

Based on my previous experiences with Bristol, I was not expecting a lot from Laughing Lab, but I was pleasantly surprised. Really, this was a very tasty example of the Scottish ale style, which if done reasonably well is among my favorites.

HMS Victory

I stopped off at Dry Dock to pick out a growler to bring to a poker game. Ran into an interesting guy there--a regular who is also a gamer and a game designer. I tried the URCA, which was good, but could wait because it was coming out in bottles, and the HMS Bounty, which is just not my style, and found that this ESB was the clear winner.

This amberish configuration is hoppy enough that I really enjoy it, but not so much that it's out of the reach of most beer drinkers. It's got a good malt character that helps balance it. Definitely recommended.

Joseph Spelt Ale

Tried this one in my quest for a decent gluten-free beer to share with a friend. No dice on this one. Spelt does not make a good malt.

Hemp Hop Rye

Hemp, hops, and rye--how can this possibly go wrong? O'Fallon, that's how. Strike 2.

London Porter

When I began my beer year, I was no big fan of porters, but by this time in my beer year, I've had enough (the count says 15 at the time I drank this one, probably 25 by the time of writing) that I've developed a reasonable taste for them. I've had the microbrew everybody recommends (Black Butte Porter) and a pretty good selection of variations on the theme.

But of all the porters I've had, this is my favorite. The flavors are bold and the texture is silky. None of that stankiness you often get with imported beers. You know what I'm talking about. This is just a purely great tasting beer with strong malts and just enough hops to keep it from sagging at the back end. This is one of those beers I probably commented seven or eight times, "I really like this beer," and was very sad when I finished it. I really wished I'd picked up a six pack.

Cherry Wheat

Again, Sam Adams is a pretty reliable brewer. They're not likely to produce anybody's favorite beer, but when you open a Sam Adams beer, you're not likely to get swill, either.

I remember clearly the first time I bought Cherry Wheat. It was late 2007. The rain was turning to snow, and I was driving the Volkswagen. Dinner was spaghetti. I stopped into the sleazy corner liquor store looking for something a little different. This was what they had. I also picked up some free Budweiser posters with Latin flair to send to Nog.

When I got home and opened up my first bottle, the sweet smell rose into my nostrils and I looked into the mist at the top of the bottle, I was struck by the thought that it would be cool to always be opening a new, untasted beer. "More happy love! More happy, happy love!" And it was probably in that moment that the first seeds of this 300 beer year began.

Having tried it a second time, it was still a pretty OK beer. Swheat and tart. If you like mild fruit beers, this is a good one for you. Otherwise, I wouldn't go out of your way to try it.

Le Freak

When I picked up this beer, I was looking forward to a repeat of the delightful experience of A Little Sumpin Wild. This one wasn't quite that good, but still pretty decent. The Belgian IPA is a delicate equation: you have to get just the right transition and balance between the hops and the yeast. I felt the hops on this were just a little rougher than I like and the Belgian yeast was a little too strong.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Rubaiyat of Beer Pt. 2

See part 1 here

And thus enriched, we recline like kings
At our leisure and ope a bottle that brings
Freedom from memory, fear, hope, and love:
A balm to all life's everpresent stings

That path of dalliance leads to death, you say,
It is why Hendrix and Bonham could not stay.
But what of Russell and Hayes--
What, pray, called these men away?

Whether in Lawrence or Golden,
Whether I am flush or beholden,
Let every glass be full and let us drink,
And laugh--or cry--as in days of olden.

See part 3 here

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Beer City Portland

Last week I had the pleasure of visiting one of the great beer cities in the country, Portland. With several great craft breweries in the region, great hop-growing regions in the surrounding area, and a population thirsty for great beer, Portland has very high cred in beer circles. So, needless to say I I was looking forward to this visit for the opportunity to sample some great beers that weren't available in my region.

But this was a family vacation, so though my wife was very accommodating in terms of where we ate and letting me go out to get beer, I couldn't make the entire trip about beer (and books--yay Powell's). Still, I did have an opportunity to get a sampling of what makes Portland a great beer city.

I visited two different breweries in Portland, Bridgeport and Deschutes' Portland mini brewpub. As far as the atmosphere and food, I'd have to give the advantage to Deschutes. It was just a really friendly place to sit down and eat a great burger, followed up with an ice cream sandwich featuring their Black Butte Porter. Bridgeport's dining area seemed like it was just a bunch of chairs & tables crowded into a big empty room. I had a very unusual brat plate at Bridgeport, which combined the beer-flavored brats with cooked cabbage, cheese & spaetzle, and apple chutney. Actually really pretty good, but a bit too rich and subtle for combining with beers.

I had two beers at each place. At Deschutes I had the Bond Street Bachelor's Bitter, because it was labeled a "local favorite" that wasn't generally available at my liquor store. This was an okay ESB, but not anything too special. I then followed it up with the Inverted Pale, a combination of the hop profile of their Inversion IPA with their Mirror Pond Pale Ale. This seems like a noble experiment, and a great idea for a pub exclusive, but not altogether a success to me. To me, the Mirror Pond malts kind of blurred and muddled the clear, fresh hoppiness I like about the Inversion IPA.

At Bridgeport, I had the Highland Ambush because it was a seasonal and a Scottish ale, which can be very tasty (for example Claymore and Naughty Scot). This one was kind of in the middle of the style. More successful was their Kingpin. A very pretty color, pretty good fragrance and fairly tasty. I'd drink it again.

But what really makes Portland a great city for beer drinkers is the easy access to high quality beers. Because their liquor laws are different, grocery stores and convenience stores can stock full-strength beers and they take full advantage of this by representing a surprising diversity of local and regional beers. The corner convenience store had dozens of bombers in addition to a full selection of craft beer six packs. And Safeway puts its beers in an endcap cooler right inside the door. We just walked by it, but at a rough glance, I'd say they had at least 50 different bombers on sale. At Safeway!

So, overall, I've got to say that I'm impressed with Portland's credentials as a leading beer city.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Patty's Chile Beer

My first chile beer. Not a big fan.

Home Brew #3

For this batch, Graham was trying to imitate Avery's Old Jubilation Ale. This experiment didn't work out as well as the black ale, but still a very good selection.

IPA

This is another decent IPA, drinkable, but not especially noteworthy.

Purple Haze

This is the first beer I've had from Louisiana. Not terribly impressed. A wheat lager with raspberry puree added late in the process. This ought to give it a good fresh flavor, but it all kind of muddles together. Not a great fruit beer.

Rocky Mountain IPA

This is an okay IPA. I believe I saw it on somebody's best CO beers list, but I wouldn't say it's that, exactly.

Asahi Super Dry

This beer was probably named to get the rhyme for English drinkers. The beer itself is pretty lame. Not recommended, and makes the record for rice beers 0-2.

Cinco De Mayo

Del Norte is a local brewery that seems to specialize in Mexican-style beers. The dark lager Mañana was about the tastiest example of the style I'd had, so I was looking forward to this mainline Mexican lager. This one was just okay.

10-Pin Porter

A decent porter.

Obsidian Stout

This is a pretty good stout. Not a standout, but if you have this as an option, you won't be disappointed if you like stouts.

Brown Shugga

They say this beer came out of a failed batch of barleywine. I don't think they did an especially good job of saving it, though.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Rubaiyat of Beer Pt. 1

Wake! For the sun from its dark bed begins to rise
And placing warm bright kisses on your eyes
Bids them open that you may learn the
Little death, like you and me, also dies.

And as the light illumes the towers of glass
Wherein the wage-slaves their dull hours pass
Rather than wages let us seek
Our wealth in drunken hours to amass

The street lamps yielding to greater lantern fade
We enter the ready store to gain the aid
Of six packs and forties of liquid gold
And mere coins for this heavenly elixir trade

See part 2 here

Maximus

In contrast to the Hop Czar, this beer really utilizes its hops well. The taste is curled and whole like a wave that lifts you up and overwhelms you with its delicious bitterness. This is a beer I want to share with others and it inspired me to start planning a Hop into Summer event for the solstice, when people should all bring their favorite hoppy beers. We'll see what becomes of that.

Hop Czar

For a long time, Bridgeport IPA was my favorite beer, so, as my hop tolerance has increased, I was looking forward to trying this bigger and badder version. But I was disappointed because the flavor is just a big blunt hammer of hops. I didn't even really taste the delicious bitterness I love from hops because the beer just killed my taste buds.

Mocha Porter

After the good experiences I'd had with coffee beers, I was looking forward to trying this one, but it was a disappointment.

Chocolate Bock

Another one I had at the Halloween party. This one I had late at night, and it certainly was not a good choice for that time of night. As far as the taste goes, I remember it being perhaps a little more bitter than it oughta be. Probably one of the worst beers from this generally reliable brewer.

Old Fezziwig

I'm putting this in out of sequence b/c I'd forgotten it. I actually drank this beer at David's Halloween party, which I think was on the 30th. Not bad, but not the best winter warmer I've ever had.

Yeti Espresso Oak

Also a pretty good coffee beer. I split this one with a coworker while hammering out the basic training manual for our new writer. Perhaps a bit strong for the situation--we didn't get as much done as we ought've.

Cappucino Stout

I loved this beer. So delicious it was distracting. I was trying to drink it and cook at the same time, and I kept leaning to the drinking, and periodically I had to remark out loud--this is a great beer. This is definitely the best coffee beer I've had.

Foret

My first Belgian saison. A couple of generous friends got me a bottle of this as a Christmas present, and I thought it the perfect beer to have with Christmas dinner. So I bought a second bottle to share. I was not hugely impressed, and neither were the others at the table, mostly because it had the strong sour character that seems characteristic of a lot of imported beers.

I have been told that it's better in the summer, and since no one else drank much, I have a second bottle I'm saving for the dog days.

Anchor Porter

An okay porter. Nothing too special, but not too bad, either.

Winterfest

Winterfest is actually not a bad beer if you're a malt-lover. I thought the malt profile of this beer was pretty solid, and not much else to interfere. Tasty enough that I'll have another when the opportunity arises.

Holiday Cheer

Seriously, Shiner, this is your attempt at a celebratory beer? I guess maybe in Texas it's not considered a good party until everyone is gagging in disgust, but not where I come from. Peaches. I taste peaches. Nasty peaches. Gross, and it didn't get any better, though I did manage to choke down the entire glass.

Celebration

This is Sierra Nevada's Celebration, the longest-running seasonal and one of the best fresh-hopped beers I've ever had. Great beer if you like hops.

Liberty Ale

This particular trip, they'd broken out the Anchor beers at my liquor store. This was another one I wasn't especially enthused with.

Anchor Steam

I did not know that "steam" was its own style, sort of. As this is the only representative of the genre I've had the opportunity to "enjoy," I'm going to go easy on it and say I thought it was a little bland.

Smoked Baltic Porter

I was promised that this brew would be pretty light on the smoke. Not so. Definitely too smoky for my taste. Not recommended unless you really like smoke. A disappointing brew from Great Divide.

Cuvee Van De Keizer Blauw

Well, if you like strong, liquory-tasting Belgian ales, then this one might be for you. For me, though, I thought this was pretty nasty.

Big Moose Ale

With a name like "Big Moose" it has to be . . . average. Or, anyway, that's how I feel. Another kind of okay entry in the Sarnac series.

Trippel

I think it's odd that New Belgium has a number of branded beers and then they have these odd generic ones, like "Trippel." This was a pretty good trippel. Nothing too special, but not too bad, either.

Doggie Style

Not a very tasty pale ale, IMO.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Nutcracker Ale

This is a tasty winter warmer from Boulevard. Is it sweet? Yes, it is. Is it a little weaker than you'd like for a winter warmer. Maybe (ABV less than 6%). But it is still a pretty good beer and recommended for a little bit of holiday cheer.

Shiner Smokehaus

It's hard to make a good smoky beer. This one succeeds in something many do not: being non-offensive and not totally nasty. Otherwise, this is not a recommended brew. Germanizing the spelling does not help the flavor.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Hop Trip

Deschutes, a fresh-hop ale--need I say more to explain why I was excited? But this just didn't work out as well in practice as it did in conception. Overall, this is a pretty well-received beer, but some reviewers indicate that it ages poorly. Mine may have been old.

In Heat Wheat

I'm not generally a huge fan of Hefeweizen as a style, so I'm probably not the best judge of this particular beer. Still and all, I was not impressed.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Winter Warlock

My second beer from Bristol, and like the Compass IPA, I was not impressed.

Hibernation

Hibernation has a pretty stiff alcohol content, but it'll make you want to do anything but go to sleep. Its vigorous flavor makes this an energizing beer. Any time, day or night, it's a warming beer and a motivating one. The best of the local winter seasonals, it's worth the little extra it costs if you're looking for a beer to make for a great winter's night.

Frambozen

I've said it before that New Belgium sometimes gets knocked by beer aficionados, but they do make some pretty fine beers. Frambozen is the best raspberry beer I've had. Light and tasty, fruity but not overdone, a really nice complement to a wide variety of foods. I think that because this starts with a more flavorful beer than most, it's easier to keep the raspberries from overwhelming the flavor.

Cocoa Porter

I got this one at the brewery when working on my article for American Beauty. I was surprised how tasty it is--sweet and delicious. Made with genuine cocoa powder and Colorado wildflower honey, the brewer was pretty proud of this beer, and rightfully so. Strongly recommended for anyone who can find it.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Manger Danger

If you live in Denver and like beer, you've probably heard of Dry Dock Brewing. They're the brewery responsible for 7 Seas Double IPA. I stopped in to try some of their seasonal selections, which come out of their Ho Ho Ho Smackdown where all the brewers try to come up with the best beer they can, then pit them head to head. This was the winner & rightfully so--it's the best quad I've had. Strong as you expect, but doesn't taste like it, all it tastes is delicious. The other two entries were not bad. The stout seemed pretty standard & the raspberry beer was a bit too fruity, but this one won on its own merits.

This is a beer I am glad to have had the chance to try, and I am sad for all the people who will never be so lucky.

Adam's Free Rye'd

I stopped in at Rock Bottom hoping they would have a winter seasonal I could write about, but, alas, no such luck. Instead, I thought to try this offering because I have enjoyed so many rye beers in the past. This beer is really, really bland. No texture, no flavor, and really watery.

2 Below

This is Fat Tire wearing a winter coat of extra dark malts and some extra hoppiness. This gives it a distinct character appropriate to the winter while keeping it unified with its beer-brothers.

Isolation Ale

This beer was an excellent start to a) my company casino night and b) my exploration of local seasonal beers. A really solid, tasty winter warmer that isn't too strong either in flavor or in alcohol to diminish its drinkability for a long night.

Sawtooth

This beer didn't really make much of an impression on me. Kind of bland & a little disappointing.

Brrr

This entry into the winter warmer category by Widmer was a little disappointing. It didn't seem like a winter warmer to me at all, just a repackaged IPA with a little bit of extra color from slightly darker malts. But if the malts also added additional flavor, that didn't stand out to me at all.